Flow doesn’t happen for everyone. There are those who may never experience flow. For example, some schizophrenics do not have the ability to feel pleasure or joy. Because flow has a feel-good component, it is difficult for these people to enter into flow. In addition, people who are excessively self-absorbed and concerned about what others think may be unable to lose themselves in an activity. Because their focus is directed toward excessively worrying about what others are thinking, these people lack the psychic energy necessary to enter a flow experience.23 Other than these groups, most people have the ability to enter flow states. But what has to be in place for this to happen?
We each choose our own flow activities, based on the meaning we attach to them. Flow occurs at the intersection of the activity’s challenge level and our abilities to meet those challenges. In other words, to enter into flow, we have to balance challenges and skill at...